Your “Taxi of Tomorrow” Will Be an Iconic Minivan

November 15, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg and the Taxi and Limousine Commission are tired of those Crown Vics. At a press conference today, the city announced three finalists in a contest to choose a new, custom-built car model to replace the city’s fleet of taxicabs. See pictures of whatever high-tech deathtrap-on-wheels you’ll be drunkenly stumbling into 10 years from now after the jump.

While the city has more than 13,000 cabs made up of 16 commission-approved models supplied by nine manufacturers, most of them are soon-to-be discontinued Ford Crown Victorias. In January, the taxi commission started requesting proposals for a new, single model to replace its cabs over the next decade. Officials say the commission is looking for a cab that is more efficient, environmentally-friendly, and “iconic.”

While entries haven’t technically been public, local reports said Nissan and Karsan, a Turkish manufacturer, were the front-runners, and this morning the Daily News reported that Ford would join them as the three finalists.

At a press conference today, Bloomberg confirmed the three finalists and announced the launch of a “Taxi of Tomorrow” website, where New Yorkers can vote on their favorite designs and give feedback as to the features they’d like to see in their cabs. Participants who vote or give feedback will also be entered in a contest to win a year’s worth of free cab rides. (That would be nice.)

The city says it will choose the winning proposal by early next year, and that the new cabs should roll out “no later than the fall of 2014.” Pictures of the three finalists below: